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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. file — a document
  5. field — farmland
  6. staff — employees
  7. field — for sport
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. field — a subject
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. staff — a stick
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. vault — a safe
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. file — a line of people
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. file — a tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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