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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. vault — a safe
  3. spell — magic
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spell — letters
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wound — an injury
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rest — a break
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pass — a permit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — a short time
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com