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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: lash · vault · cue · arm · toast · wind · chair · fan

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. cue — a hint
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. toast — bread
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fan — a supporter
  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