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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. land — ground
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. hand — help
  8. land — to come down
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. track — a path
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. land — a country
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. vault — a safe
  17. track — to keep track
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. track — a song

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