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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 124 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. spring — the season
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — of water
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. race — a contest
  11. spring — a coil
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. squash — the sport
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. season — in sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bulb — for light
  19. race — humankind
  20. kick — in football
  21. season — of the year
  22. squash — to crush
  23. vault — a safe
  24. race — the arms race

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