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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spell — magic
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. staff — employees
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spell — a short time
  11. staff — a stick
  12. hand — in cards
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. land — a country
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. vault — a safe
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hand — help
  22. spell — letters
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. staff — employees

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