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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. squash — to crush
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stand — to bear
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. net — in sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. net — after costs
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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