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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. perch — the fish
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. roll — a list
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. vault — a safe
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. suit — in cards
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ball — a great time
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ball — a dance

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