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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. date — the fruit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. vault — a safe
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rash — a series
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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