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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bass — low music
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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