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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. shower — rain
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bat — the animal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pit — in a race
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mark — a grade
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. shower — to wash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pit — a hole
  24. sharp — exactly

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