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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fork — in a road
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. kick — in football
  9. capital — money
  10. fall — to drop
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. capital — a city
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. vault — a safe
  24. fork — a garden tool

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