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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 124 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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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: lash · mug · face · lean · field · bay · file · vault

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. file — a document
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. field — for sport
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. file — a tool
  11. lean — thin
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lean — to bend
  19. field — farmland
  20. face — to confront
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mug — a face
  23. field — a subject
  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