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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: arm · wax · clip · chair · vault · lash · bat · leaves

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wax — to grow
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. clip — to cut
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. clip — a video
  22. vault — a safe
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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