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

Word bank: lash · cell · pitch · race · cabinet · vault · date · season

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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 — an arched ceiling
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cell — in biology
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. season — of the year
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. race — a contest
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cell — a phone
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. season — in sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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