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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. scale — size or range
  5. vault — a safe
  6. scale — in music
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. last — final
  11. bound — certain
  12. wound — an injury
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. last — finally
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. current — of water
  17. wound — an injury
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. last — to go on
  22. current — electric
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bound — obliged

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