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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wake — a trail
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pit — in a race
  7. drill — a practice
  8. root — of a plant
  9. kick — in football
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. kick — a thrill
  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