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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · kick · file · deal · vault · lean · field · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kick — in football
  4. field — farmland
  5. file — a document
  6. field — a subject
  7. lean — to bend
  8. dip — to sink
  9. present — there
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. present — a gift
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. present — the time now
  19. lean — thin
  20. file — a tool
  21. vault — a safe
  22. file — a line of people
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. field — for sport

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