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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 124 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. hand — help
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. face — part of the head
  11. land — a country
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pass — a permit
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. land — to come down
  19. face — to confront
  20. land — ground
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lash — an eyelash

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