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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 120 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: land · lash · cabinet · vault · foot · leaves · fall · wax

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fall — the season
  7. land — a country
  8. wax — to grow
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. land — to come down
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. land — ground
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. leaves — lets stay

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