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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. staff — employees
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spring — of water
  5. vault — a safe
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bass — low music
  8. spring — a coil
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. staff — a stick
  12. capital — money
  13. staff — employees
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. capital — a city
  21. spring — the season
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lash — to lash out

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