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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 116 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: rest · lash · vault · trunk · coach · bat · stand · pitch

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rest — a break
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stand — to bear
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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