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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: deal · plane · vault · tear · suit · net · kick · present

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. present — there
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. net — after costs
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. tear — from crying
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. tear — from crying
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. tear — to rip
  20. deal — to handle
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. vault — a safe
  24. suit — to fit

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