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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. land — to come down
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. land — ground
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. prune — to trim
  13. land — a country
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rash — a series
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. vault — a safe
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. prune — to trim

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