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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cell — a phone
  4. suit — clothes
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rock — music
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rush — hurry
  13. field — farmland
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. field — for sport
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. suit — to fit
  19. field — a subject
  20. vault — a safe
  21. toast — bread
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rock — a stone
  24. lash — an eyelash

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