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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rush — hurry
  6. tear — to rip
  7. rest — a break
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. present — there
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. tear — from crying
  15. present — a gift
  16. chest — a box
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rest — what's left
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chest — of your body
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. present — the time now

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