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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. roll — a cake
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. pop — music
  7. charge — in control
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pop — to visit
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. roll — a list
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pop — soda
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. kick — in football
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. vault — a safe

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