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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fine — high quality
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. vault — a safe
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rest — what's left
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. swing — music
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. swing — to play on
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rest — what's left
  19. swing — in golf
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. game — a match
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rest — a break
  24. game — wild animals

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