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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: wake · spell · dip · vault · kick · arm · plane · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. spell — letters
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pit — in a race
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. spell — a short time
  15. dip — to sink
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. vault — a safe
  20. kick — in football
  21. spell — magic
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wake — a trail

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