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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: perch · wake · lash · mate · cap · board · vault · ruler

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cap — a hat
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wake — a trail
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. board — to get on
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cap — of ice
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. board — a committee
  23. cap — a lid
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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