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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 124 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. roll — a cake
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. mine — for digging
  11. last — finally
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. vault — a safe
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. roll — a list
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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