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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. pass — a permit
  3. vault — a safe
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. track — a path
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. shower — rain
  9. track — a song
  10. band — a ring
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. shower — to wash
  18. track — to keep track
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. hand — in cards
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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