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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. field — for sport
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mate — a friend
  9. vault — a safe
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. field — a subject
  15. snap — to click
  16. wax — to grow
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. mate — to breed
  20. field — farmland
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. object — an aim
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mate — a partner

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