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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. land — ground
  7. current — electric
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. saw — the tool
  11. land — to come down
  12. wake — a trail
  13. staff — employees
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. current — of water
  17. staff — a stick
  18. current — happening now
  19. staff — employees
  20. land — a country
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. saw — the tool
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fork — in a road

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