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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. game — a match
  3. mate — a friend
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mate — to breed
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — clothes
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. object — to protest
  11. vault — a safe
  12. file — a line of people
  13. suit — to fit
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mate — a partner
  16. game — wild animals
  17. object — an aim
  18. kick — in football
  19. file — a document
  20. object — a thing
  21. file — a tool
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. suit — in cards

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