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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. kick — in football
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cell — a phone
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rest — a break
  14. vault — a safe
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bore — to tire
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bore — to drill
  24. kick — a thrill

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