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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. vault — a safe
  4. drill — a practice
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. kick — in football
  14. mark — a trace
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. drill — army training
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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