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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rest — a break
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wake — a trail
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — there
  22. cue — a signal
  23. present — a gift
  24. rest — what's left

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