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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. hand — in cards
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. snap — to click
  7. vault — a safe
  8. file — a document
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hand — help
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. file — a tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lean — thin
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rule — government
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rule — a law
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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