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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mark — a grade
  9. staff — employees
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. staff — employees
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fall — the season

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