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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. capital — money
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lean — thin
  12. bat — the animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rule — government
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. capital — a city
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. swing — to play on
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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