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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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468
Word bank
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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. scale — size or range
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. can — a tin
  13. snap — to click
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. can — a tin
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. scale — in music
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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