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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitch — completely
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bark — to shout
  9. present — there
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bat — the animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pitcher — a jug

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