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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. hand — help
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. face — to confront
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. vault — a safe
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. face — part of the head
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — low music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mouse — the animal

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