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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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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: stand · bark · lash · mate · perch · bat · capital · vault

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — a friend
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. capital — a city
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. capital — money
  21. mate — a partner
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stand — to bear
  24. vault — a safe

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