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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. tube — the underground
  3. staff — employees
  4. vault — a safe
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. staff — employees
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fork — in a road
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. staff — a stick

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