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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 116 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. vault — a safe
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fine — high quality
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fine — all right
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. charge — in control
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. straw — dry grass

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