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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. kid — child
  5. bass — the fish
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stock — shares
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. vault — a safe
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. hand — help
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bass — low music
  23. stock — goods
  24. hand — in cards

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