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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cap — a hat
  10. snap — to click
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. can — a tin
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. can — to be able to
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cap — of ice
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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