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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. present — a gift
  4. net — for catching
  5. present — there
  6. vault — a safe
  7. present — the time now
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. net — after costs
  12. bat — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. net — in sport
  15. row — to paddle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stand — to bear
  22. row — a line
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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