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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. plane — a tool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mark — a grade
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ball — a dance
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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