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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. object — an aim
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. tear — to rip
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. object — to protest
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wake — a trail
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. object — a thing
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. roll — a cake
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fan — a supporter

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