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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · cabinet · lash · content · rash · spell · vault · field

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. spell — magic
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. ball — a dance
  13. content — the amount
  14. field — for sport
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. field — farmland
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. field — a subject
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. content — happy

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