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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pit — in a race
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. hand — in cards
  11. root — of a word
  12. pitch — completely
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. kick — in football
  15. bulb — for light
  16. root — the cause
  17. vault — a safe
  18. hand — help
  19. pit — a hole
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bulb — for light

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