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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bear — the animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. craft — a skill
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. ground — crushed
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. key — in music
  15. craft — boats
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ground — a position
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bear — the animal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bear — to put up with

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