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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: toast · wound · cabinet · hide · rash · object · lash · vault

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — a series
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. object — to protest
  10. rash — hasty
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. vault — a safe
  19. object — an aim
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. object — a thing
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. toast — bread
  24. lash — to lash out

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