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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. kick — in football
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. present — a gift
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. present — the time now
  9. bat — the animal
  10. vault — a safe
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bark — of a tree

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