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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. land — a country
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. land — to come down
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rest — what's left
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. kick — in football
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rest — a break
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. land — ground
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stand — to bear
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stand — for spectators

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