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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tear — to rip
  4. saw — the tool
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to click
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bank — for money
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. charge — in control

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