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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: rock · vault · foot · lean · stick · cap · pitch · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lean — thin
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. cap — a lid
  23. vault — a safe
  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