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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 124 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. kick — in football
  2. cold — an illness
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. club — for dancing
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bulb — for light
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. club — a group
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cold — not warm
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. press — to push
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. club — for golf
  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