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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: roll · kid · kick · capital · rule · nail · vault · bear

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. roll — a cake
  4. capital — a city
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. vault — a safe
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. roll — a list
  12. rule — a law
  13. capital — money
  14. kid — child
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bear — the animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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