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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pop — soda
  3. land — ground
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — a country
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pop — music
  10. vault — a safe
  11. land — to come down
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. key — in music
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pop — to visit

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