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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pass — a permit
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pop — soda
  18. branch — a division
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pop — music
  24. branch — of a tree

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