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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. firm — steady
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pit — a hole
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pit — in a race
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. dip — to sink
  14. kick — in football
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. vault — a safe
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. clip — a video
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. firm — a company
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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