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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fork — in a road
  3. staff — employees
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. ball — a dance
  10. snap — to click
  11. staff — employees
  12. chest — a box
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. staff — a stick
  16. chest — of your body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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