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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. track — a song
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bat — the animal
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. band — a ring
  8. firm — decided
  9. perch — the fish
  10. kick — in football
  11. track — to keep track
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. vault — a safe
  17. track — a path
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. firm — steady
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. band — a music group
  24. firm — a company

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