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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. chest — a box
  4. stock — shares
  5. kick — in football
  6. stem — to come from
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stock — goods
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. race — the arms race
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ball — a great time
  17. race — a contest
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chest — of your body
  22. race — humankind
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. straw — dry grass

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