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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: chair · rash · snap · pop · vault · lash · bay · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pop — music
  9. snap — to click
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rash — a series
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. board — a committee
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pop — soda

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