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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pitch — completely
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. net — in sport
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. net — after costs
  14. vault — a safe
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. chip — to eat
  18. net — for catching
  19. wound — an injury
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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