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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. face — part of the head
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mine — for digging
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rash — hasty
  8. face — to confront
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rash — a series
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. drill — army training
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. drill — the tool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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