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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: lash · vault · pitch · ball · chest · hide · bear · dip

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ball — a dance
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. chest — of your body
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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