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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. present — a gift
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rash — hasty
  11. present — the time now
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. present — there
  16. rash — a series
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rash — on the skin

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