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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rock — music
  3. kid — child
  4. rock — a stone
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pit — in a race
  9. spell — magic
  10. mug — a face
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pit — a hole
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — to rob
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. spell — letters
  24. rock — to move gently

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