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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. degree — an amount
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mine — for digging
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. vault — a safe
  20. degree — from a university
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. degree — temperature

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