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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. stem — to come from
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hand — help
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. ball — a great time
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pitch — completely
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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