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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 120 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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. vault — a safe
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. chip — for betting
  8. staff — employees
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. swing — to play on
  15. staff — employees
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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