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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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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: lash · field · deal · rule · trunk · bound · bat · vault

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rule — government
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bound — certain
  6. field — for sport
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. field — a subject
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rule — a law
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. field — farmland
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. deal — to handle
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bound — obliged
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bound — tied together

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