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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: season · vault · stock · lash · last · saw · cap · bark

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cap — a lid
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. season — of the year
  8. last — final
  9. stock — shares
  10. season — in sport
  11. cap — of ice
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. last — to go on
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. last — finally
  21. stock — goods
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cap — a hat

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