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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. fork — in a road
  3. last — finally
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. last — to go on
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. vault — a safe
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. field — for sport
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. wake — a trail
  15. spell — magic
  16. field — a subject
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. field — farmland
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. last — final
  24. kick — in football

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