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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. chest — a box
  5. root — the cause
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chest — of your body
  8. club — for golf
  9. land — a country
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. craft — boats
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. root — of a word
  16. land — ground
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. root — of a plant
  21. chest — of your body
  22. vault — a safe
  23. land — to come down
  24. club — a group

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