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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fine — all right
  6. wind — moving air
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bass — the fish
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rock — music
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bass — low music
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rock — a stone
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lash — to lash out

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