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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. row — a line
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fall — the season
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. kick — in football
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. track — a song
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pit — in a race
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pit — a hole
  20. track — a path
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. track — to keep track

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