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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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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: spring · net · row · bound · vault · lash · lean · coach

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. vault — a safe
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. row — to paddle
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. net — in sport
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. spring — of water
  9. row — a line
  10. lean — thin
  11. net — after costs
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bound — obliged
  14. spring — the season
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bound — certain
  18. net — for catching
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lean — to bend
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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