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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. object — to protest
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bay — a horse colour

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