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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. vault — a safe
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. firm — decided
  6. degree — an amount
  7. rush — hurry
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. degree — temperature
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. clip — a video
  16. firm — steady
  17. can — a tin
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. firm — a company
  21. can — a tin
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — for paper
  24. lash — to lash out

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