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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. vault — a safe
  6. present — a gift
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. present — the time now
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. snap — to click
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ball — a dance
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. present — there
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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