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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. bass — low music
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. chest — of your body
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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