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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. net — in sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. foot — a measure

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