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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. spring — the season
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. vault — a safe
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bank — for money
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bank — for money
  21. spring — a coil
  22. snap — to click
  23. spring — of water
  24. bank — of a river

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