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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. swing — in golf
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. toast — bread
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. land — a country
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. snap — to click
  20. swing — music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. land — ground
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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