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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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Word bank
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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. track — a song
  7. vault — a safe
  8. track — a path
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wound — an injury
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stock — shares
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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