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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. net — after costs
  7. drill — army training
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. net — in sport
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. drill — the tool
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. date — the fruit
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. net — for catching
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. drill — a practice

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