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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 124 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. net — in sport
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. race — a contest
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lean — thin
  10. suit — to fit
  11. net — for catching
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. race — humankind
  21. net — after costs
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. tube — the underground

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