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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 120 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. snap — to click
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. present — a gift
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pit — a hole
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. saw — the tool
  21. present — there
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. present — the time now
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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