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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. swing — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wound — an injury
  16. dip — to sink
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wind — moving air

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