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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · degree · lash · vault · safe · ball · kid · pass

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. degree — from a university
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pass — a permit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ball — a great time
  15. kid — to tease
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. degree — an amount
  21. ball — a dance
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kid — child

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