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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 116 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. land — to come down
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. vault — a safe
  6. land — ground
  7. rest — what's left
  8. race — the arms race
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. swing — to play on
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. race — a contest
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. land — a country
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. net — after costs
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. race — humankind

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