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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. root — the cause
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rock — music
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mate — a friend
  15. root — of a plant
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bat — the animal
  22. root — of a word
  23. rash — a series
  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