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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.

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

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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. vault — a safe
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. race — the arms race
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. race — a contest
  20. saw — the tool
  21. season — of the year
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. season — in sport

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