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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. last — to go on
  5. kick — in football
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lean — to bend
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. last — finally
  14. lean — thin
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. last — final
  20. bound — obliged
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bound — certain
  24. leaves — lets stay

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