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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. race — a contest
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. race — humankind
  14. lie — to recline
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. saw — the tool
  21. kick — in football
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. race — the arms race
  24. kick — a thrill

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