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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. branch — a division
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pop — music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pop — soda
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pop — to visit
  21. perch — the fish
  22. vault — a safe
  23. sharp — clever
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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