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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.

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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: coach · rock · row · nail · vault · game · lash · rest

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. row — to paddle
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. row — a line
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rock — a stone
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rock — music
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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