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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stem — to come from
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. toast — bread
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. chip — to eat
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. temple — a place of worship

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