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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. vault — a safe
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kick — in football
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. scale — size or range
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. drill — army training
  14. scale — in music
  15. club — for golf
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. prune — to trim

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