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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · leaves · vault · land · bat · calf · spring · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. land — to come down
  10. spring — the season
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. spring — a coil
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. land — ground
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. key — in music
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. land — a country
  21. spring — of water
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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