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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 120 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 · cell · bark · chest · scale · vault · charge · wave

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chest — of your body
  3. vault — a safe
  4. scale — in music
  5. bark — to shout
  6. chest — a box
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cell — a phone
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cell — in biology
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. charge — a price
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wave — of the sea

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