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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. craft — boats
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. race — the arms race
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. race — humankind
  11. craft — a skill
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. race — a contest
  21. present — there
  22. season — in sport
  23. vault — a safe
  24. kick — in football

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