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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.

Make a worksheet

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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. present — a gift
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. present — the time now
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. chest — of your body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. foot — a measure
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. chest — a box
  22. kick — in football
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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