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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: cabinet · saw · calf · chest · lash · wind · vault · bay

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. chest — of your body
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chest — a box

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