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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. vault — a safe
  4. net — in sport
  5. stock — shares
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mate — to breed
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mate — a friend
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. root — the cause
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. root — of a word
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stock — goods
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. root — of a plant
  22. net — after costs
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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