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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. kick — in football
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — of law
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mark — a grade
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lean — to bend
  10. spring — the season
  11. season — of the year
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. season — in sport
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mark — a trace
  17. spring — a coil
  18. can — to be able to
  19. spring — of water
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. court — for sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. lean — thin
  24. court — of a king

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