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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: row · rash · lash · ruler · vault · leaves · kid · mouse

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kid — child
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rash — a series
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. row — to paddle
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. row — a line
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ruler — a monarch

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