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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cue — a signal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. field — a subject
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cue — a hint
  10. field — for sport
  11. file — a tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cue — for pool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cell — a phone
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. field — farmland
  22. file — a document
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. spell — letters

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