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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. current — happening now
  11. band — a music group
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pound — a weight
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hand — help
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. current — electric
  21. vault — a safe
  22. current — of water
  23. band — a ring
  24. pound — to hit hard

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