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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. row — to paddle
  3. cold — not warm
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. track — a song
  9. snap — to click
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. track — a path
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. charge — a price
  22. row — a line
  23. cold — an illness
  24. ruler — for measuring

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