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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. kid — to tease
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lie — to recline
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. vault — a safe
  20. kid — child
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stem — of a plant
  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