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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kick — in football
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. row — a line
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — a safe
  12. kid — child
  13. row — to paddle
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. snap — to click

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