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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. season — of the year
  11. dip — to sink
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cold — not warm
  14. vault — a safe
  15. season — in sport
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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