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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. face — to point toward
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mine — for digging
  7. vault — a safe
  8. face — part of the head
  9. kid — child
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. tube — a container
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mark — a grade
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. face — to confront
  18. tube — the underground
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kid — to tease

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