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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kid — child
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. vault — a safe
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. court — of a king
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. court — for sport
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. court — of law
  21. sharp — clever
  22. race — a contest
  23. kid — to tease
  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