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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: plane · tear · chest · racket · cell · lash · fan · vault

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chest — a box
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tear — from crying
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. chest — of your body
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. plane — a tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. racket — for tennis

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