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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wind — moving air
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rock — music
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bore — to tire
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rock — a stone
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. foot — part of the body

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