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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: foot · trunk · lash · rash · snap · kid · hand · vault

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rash — hasty
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. hand — in cards
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. hand — help
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. snap — to click
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. kid — to tease
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. kid — child
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rash — a series
  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