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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: field · drill · vault · kick · lie · stick · sharp · calf

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. field — for sport
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. field — a subject
  10. drill — army training
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. drill — a practice
  16. field — farmland
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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