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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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cold — not warm
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cold — an illness
  9. ball — a great time
  10. vault — a safe
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. press — to push
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. press — newspapers
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. press — a publisher
  21. suit — to fit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. sharp — with an edge

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