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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bore — to drill
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rash — a series
  12. hand — help
  13. game — a match
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hand — in cards
  16. game — wild animals
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. branch — a division
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. branch — of a bank

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