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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cell — a phone
  6. object — to protest
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. tear — to rip
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cell — in biology
  13. game — wild animals
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spell — magic
  16. object — an aim
  17. spell — letters
  18. kick — in football
  19. vault — a safe
  20. game — a match
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. object — a thing
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bulb — for light

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