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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pop — soda
  3. game — wild animals
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — to recline
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pop — to visit
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pop — music
  17. rash — a series
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lie — an untruth

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