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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. chip — to eat
  6. vault — a safe
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rest — a break
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cap — of ice
  11. club — for dancing
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cap — a lid
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. perch — the fish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rest — what's left

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