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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. game — wild animals
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. sharp — clever
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bore — to drill
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. game — a match
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bore — to tire

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