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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mug — to rob
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cell — in biology
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. squash — to crush
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. dip — to sink
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spell — magic
  18. mug — a face
  19. spell — letters
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. squash — the sport
  24. spell — a short time

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