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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — low music
  5. squash — the sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. key — for a lock
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. vault — a safe
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. squash — to crush
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. key — in music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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