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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chest — of your body
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. court — of law
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. track — a song
  10. court — for sport
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. track — to keep track
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. court — of a king
  20. chest — of your body
  21. vault — a safe
  22. land — to come down
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. chest — a box

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