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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · bulb · game · nail · current · pitcher · vault · lash

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. current — electric
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hand — in cards
  9. current — happening now
  10. bulb — for light
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. game — a match
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. vault — a safe
  17. game — wild animals
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. current — of water

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