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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 116 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. field — farmland
  5. land — to come down
  6. field — a subject
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. land — a country
  10. mug — a face
  11. vault — a safe
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. file — a tool
  17. mug — to rob
  18. suit — in cards
  19. land — ground
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. field — for sport
  23. mug — a cup
  24. lash — an eyelash

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