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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: toast · lash · mate · vault · ruler · clip

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mate — to breed
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. toast — bread
  11. clip — for paper
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mate — a friend
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring

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