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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: vault · mouse · temple · club · bass · bat · season · lash

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. club — a group
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. season — in sport
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. season — of the year
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bass — low music
  24. club — for dancing

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