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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. capital — a city
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. capital — money
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cold — not warm
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. spring — a coil
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. spring — of water
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. spring — the season
  19. cold — an illness
  20. key — for a lock
  21. kick — in football
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. vault — a safe
  24. key — in music

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