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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: straw · vault · lash · content · season · ground · deal · bark

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. content — happy
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. season — of the year
  14. content — the amount
  15. deal — to handle
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. vault — a safe
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. season — in sport
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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