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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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Word bank
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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: sharp · vault · game · season · mouse · rush · lash · roll

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. season — in sport
  4. sharp — clever
  5. roll — a cake
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. roll — a list
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. season — of the year
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. game — a match
  18. rush — hurry
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. vault — a safe
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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