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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fall — to drop
  6. track — a song
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fall — to drop
  9. track — a path
  10. fall — the season
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fine — high quality
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mate — to breed
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. trunk — of a tree

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