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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. board — a committee
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pop — music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pop — soda
  12. stand — to bear
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cell — in biology
  15. vault — a safe
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pop — to visit
  19. board — to get on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cell — a phone
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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