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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. spring — a coil
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spring — the season
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. swing — to play on
  14. kick — in football
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. track — a path
  19. bear — the animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. spring — of water
  22. swing — music
  23. stand — to bear
  24. swing — in golf

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