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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cap — a lid
  6. race — humankind
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. perch — the fish
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cap — a hat
  18. race — a contest
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. deal — to handle
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pop — music
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. race — the arms race

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