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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rest — what's left
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pit — a hole
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. kick — in football
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cell — a phone
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mine — an explosive

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