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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. present — a gift
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. object — an aim
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. vault — a safe
  11. present — there
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. present — the time now
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fine — high quality

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