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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. present — a gift
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. net — in sport
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. chip — to eat
  8. present — there
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. vault — a safe
  18. present — the time now
  19. net — for catching
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. net — after costs
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. swing — to play on

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