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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. key — in music
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bat — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. can — to be able to
  9. toast — bread
  10. hand — help
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. can — a tin
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. hand — in cards
  19. key — the most important part
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — for a lock
  23. can — a tin
  24. toast — the most admired

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