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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — clothes
  4. staff — employees
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mate — to breed
  7. kid — to tease
  8. suit — in cards
  9. kid — child
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. kick — in football
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wake — a trail
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. staff — a stick
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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