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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pop — soda
  3. game — a match
  4. pop — music
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bear — the animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pop — to visit
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bear — the animal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. vault — a safe

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