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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fall — to drop
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. kick — in football
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chest — of your body
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. chest — a box
  14. snap — to click
  15. chest — of your body
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fall — to drop
  20. saw — the tool
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. kick — a thrill

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