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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. track — a path
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rush — hurry
  13. ground — a position
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ground — crushed
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ground — the earth
  20. track — a song
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fan — to cool the air

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