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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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468
Word bank
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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. vault — a safe
  4. drill — the tool
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. drill — a practice
  12. charge — a price
  13. rash — hasty
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. degree — from a university
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. degree — an amount
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. drill — army training
  24. rash — on the skin

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