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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: vault · plane · trunk · saw · hand · lash · perch · toast

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. vault — a safe
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. hand — help
  15. perch — the fish
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. plane — a tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. toast — bread
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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