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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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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: object · mug · row · straw · lash · bowl · bark · vault

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. row — a line
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mug — to rob
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. object — to protest
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. object — a thing
  12. vault — a safe
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bark — to shout
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mug — a cup
  18. object — an aim
  19. mug — a face
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. straw — dry grass
  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