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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cold — not warm
  9. rock — music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cold — an illness
  19. lean — thin
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rock — a stone

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