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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stem — to come from
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. kick — in football
  16. swing — music
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fine — high quality
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — all right
  24. swing — in golf

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