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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. field — for sport
  9. game — wild animals
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. suit — clothes
  12. game — a match
  13. drill — the tool
  14. field — a subject
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. stem — to come from
  19. drill — a practice
  20. field — farmland
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. drill — army training

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