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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bank — for money
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. vault — a safe
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bank — for money
  13. kid — child
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. track — a song
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bank — of a river
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. kid — to tease

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