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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. track — a song
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. season — of the year
  5. cue — a signal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. vault — a safe
  9. track — to keep track
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. cue — a hint
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cue — for pool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. content — happy
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. content — the amount
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. track — a path

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