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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. root — the cause
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. swing — music
  10. root — of a word
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. swing — in golf
  20. root — of a plant
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. file — a document

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