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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. last — to go on
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. last — final
  12. kick — in football
  13. last — finally
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. foot — a measure
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitch — completely
  24. vault — a safe

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