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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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. tube — a container
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. track — to keep track
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rule — a law
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. track — a path
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rule — government
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. track — a song
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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