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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. vault — a safe
  8. court — of law
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. court — of a king
  13. cold — not warm
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cold — an illness
  18. kick — in football
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. court — for sport

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