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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.

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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. net — after costs
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. dip — to sink
  12. kid — to tease
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kick — in football
  15. bear — the animal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. net — in sport
  18. kid — child
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. net — for catching
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stand — for spectators

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