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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. vault — a safe
  3. saw — the tool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bound — certain
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. capital — a city
  24. wake — a trail

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