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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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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: bass · lash · toast · wake · bound · vault · spell · pitcher

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spell — letters
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bass — low music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bound — certain
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. toast — bread
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. spell — magic
  24. bass — the fish

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