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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: bass · lash · bark · rush · capital · land · vault · wax

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. land — a country
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wax — to grow
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bass — low music
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. land — ground
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. land — to come down
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rush — to hurry

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