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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · bear · lash · coach · pitcher · bat · vault · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. vault — a safe
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bat — for baseball

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