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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · bound · board · cue · cold · fan · lash · vault

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. board — a committee
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. board — to get on
  13. roll — a cake
  14. cue — for pool
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bound — obliged
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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