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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tear — from crying
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bore — to drill
  13. game — a match
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. tear — from crying
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lash — to lash out

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