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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 124 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. track — a song
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. track — a path
  14. ball — a great time
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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