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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: bore · lash · file · vault · bear · fall · squash · racket

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bore — to drill
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fall — the season
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bore — to tire
  15. file — a document
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. squash — the sport
  18. vault — a safe
  19. file — a tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bear — the animal

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