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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bound — obliged
  10. march — music
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bank — for money
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. march — the month
  19. hand — help
  20. bank — for money
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. march — the month
  23. bank — of a river
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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