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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rash — a series
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. kid — child
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. vault — a safe
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rash — hasty
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. kid — to tease
  21. current — electric
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lie — to recline

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