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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cold — an illness
  4. track — a path
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cue — for pool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. track — a song
  22. suit — in cards
  23. kick — in football
  24. cold — not warm

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