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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mark — a trace
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. current — electric
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spell — a short time
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. cold — an illness
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rest — a break
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mark — a grade
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. lash — to lash out

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