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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: vault · lash · ruler · chip · temple · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head

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