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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. bound — certain
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bound — tied together
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wake — a trail
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bound — obliged
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. straw — dry grass
  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