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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 120 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: fork · game · vault · rule · kick · fan · object · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. object — to protest
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. kick — in football
  6. rule — a law
  7. lean — thin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. object — a thing
  11. game — wild animals
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fork — in a road
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. object — an aim
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. game — a match
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rule — government
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. kick — a thrill

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