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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: ball · vault · lash · hide · file · jam · board · wax

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — to grow
  5. file — a tool
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. file — a document
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. board — to get on
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ball — a dance
  12. vault — a safe
  13. board — a committee
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. file — a line of people
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. ball — a great time
  24. lash — an eyelash

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