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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. court — of law
  3. kick — in football
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. field — a subject
  9. suit — clothes
  10. vault — a safe
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cell — a phone
  13. field — farmland
  14. court — of a king
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cell — in biology
  19. court — for sport
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. field — for sport
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wake — a trail
  24. safe — out of danger

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