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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. vault — a safe
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ball — a great time
  15. shower — rain
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wind — moving air
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. chip — in a computer

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