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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. vault — a safe
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. present — a gift
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. sharp — clever
  18. kick — in football
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. present — the time now
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mark — a trace
  23. present — there
  24. kick — with a leg

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