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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mate — a friend
  4. kick — in football
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stock — goods
  8. mate — a partner
  9. vault — a safe
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stock — shares
  14. mate — to breed
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. plane — a tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. current — of water
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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