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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. present — a gift
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. land — a country
  7. shower — to wash
  8. present — the time now
  9. land — to come down
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitch — completely
  15. vault — a safe
  16. shower — rain
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. land — ground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. present — there
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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