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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. degree — temperature
  3. vault — a safe
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pop — soda
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. court — of law
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. degree — from a university
  15. snap — to click
  16. pop — music
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. court — of a king
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pop — to visit
  22. court — for sport
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. board — a flat piece

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