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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pop — music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. deal — to handle
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pop — soda
  13. content — the amount
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. tear — from crying
  21. content — happy
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. tear — to rip

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