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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. vault — a safe
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. roll — a list
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. game — a match
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rush — hurry
  14. game — wild animals
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  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