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

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. chest — of your body
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. board — a committee
  6. bulb — for light
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. scale — in music
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chest — a box
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. court — of law
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. chest — of your body

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