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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. club — for dancing
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cue — for pool
  7. club — a group
  8. object — a thing
  9. cue — a signal
  10. spring — the season
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. vault — a safe
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cue — a hint
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. club — for golf
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. object — an aim
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  24. object — to protest

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