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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. charge — in control
  8. mug — a face
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mug — a cup
  20. charge — a price
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. last — finally
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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