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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chest — of your body
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. chest — a box
  16. kick — in football
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. roll — a list
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mark — a grade
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mark — a trace

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