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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 · cell · ball · coach · bear · roll · straw · lash

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ball — a dance
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cell — a phone
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. roll — a list
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bear — the animal
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. lash — to lash out

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