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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 · straw · sharp · capital · row · vault · pitcher · lie

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. sharp — clever
  7. capital — money
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. row — to paddle
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. row — a line
  18. lie — to recline
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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