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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: toast · lash · nail · swing · vault · last · arm · rest

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. last — to go on
  3. rest — what's left
  4. toast — bread
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rest — a break
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. vault — a safe
  11. swing — music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. last — finally
  14. swing — to play on
  15. last — final
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. swing — in golf
  24. nail — on a finger

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