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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: racket · rash · staff · rest · chest · bay · vault · kick

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chest — of your body
  3. staff — employees
  4. rash — a series
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chest — a box
  13. rest — a break
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — hasty
  18. chest — of your body
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. kick — in football
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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