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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. spell — letters
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. wake — a trail
  13. band — a music group
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. vault — a safe
  16. spell — magic
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. band — a ring
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fine — high quality
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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