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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. shower — to wash
  3. vault — a safe
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. dip — to sink
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. shower — rain
  10. row — to paddle
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. row — a line
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. kick — a thrill

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