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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bear — the animal
  3. press — to push
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rest — a break
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. kick — in football
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rest — what's left
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. key — in music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. press — newspapers
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rest — what's left
  22. craft — boats
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. press — a publisher

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