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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 120 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: vault · bank · lash · rock · fork · pitcher · leaves · rest

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rock — music
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bank — for money
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bank — of a river
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rest — a break
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rock — a stone
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fork — in a road

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