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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. vault — a safe
  4. game — a match
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. file — a document
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mug — to rob
  11. game — wild animals
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. drill — army training
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. file — a tool
  17. kick — in football
  18. mug — a face
  19. file — a line of people
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mug — a cup
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. drill — the tool
  24. deal — an agreement

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