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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. degree — an amount
  5. board — a committee
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. suit — clothes
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. degree — temperature
  12. vault — a safe
  13. race — humankind
  14. degree — from a university
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. kick — in football
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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