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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. object — a thing
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bound — obliged
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bound — tied together
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rest — a break
  13. fall — the season
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. object — to protest
  20. bound — certain
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lash — an eyelash

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