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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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Word bank
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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. dip — to sink
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cell — in biology
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. swing — music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rash — a series
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wind — to turn a key

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