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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 ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. foot — a measure
  4. suit — clothes
  5. vault — a safe
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. suit — to fit
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. suit — in cards
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. hide — animal 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