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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bass — low music
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. game — a match
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mug — a cup
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pass — to succeed

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