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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hand — in cards
  4. net — in sport
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. net — after costs
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pound — a weight
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. hand — help
  16. net — for catching
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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