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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: kick · toast · sharp · kid · craft · vault · swing · arm

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. swing — music
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. sharp — clever
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. toast — bread
  13. craft — a skill
  14. kid — to tease
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. craft — boats
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. kick — in football
  20. swing — in golf
  21. kid — child
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. swing — to play on
  24. vault — a safe

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