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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. deal — to handle
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. snap — to click
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. dip — to sink
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. vault — a safe
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. lash — to lash out

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