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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. roll — a cake
  16. fine — all right
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitch — completely
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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