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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 · present · last · lie · snap · leaves · stem · vault

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. present — there
  7. last — final
  8. kick — in football
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. present — a gift
  12. lie — to recline
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stem — to come from
  15. present — the time now
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to click
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stem — a stem cell

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