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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. march — the month
  3. vault — a safe
  4. race — humankind
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. track — a song
  11. wake — a trail
  12. march — the month
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. track — a path
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. march — music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. track — to keep track

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