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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chest — of your body
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. band — a ring
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. vault — a safe
  20. band — a music group
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. chest — a box
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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