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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. track — a path
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. snap — to click
  11. track — a song
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. track — to keep track

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