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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
468
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: lash · sharp · rule · hand · foot · vault · mine · key

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. key — for a lock
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rule — government
  6. vault — a safe
  7. hand — help
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mine — for digging
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. key — the most important part
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. sharp — clever
  21. hand — in cards
  22. key — in music
  23. rule — a law
  24. foot — part of the body

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