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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: straw · court · bat · vault · lash · bay · rash · safe

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rash — hasty
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. court — of law
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. court — for sport
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bat — the animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rash — a series
  21. vault — a safe
  22. court — of a king
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. safe — out of danger

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