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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: press · vault · lash · rest · track · bear · kid · pitcher

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. vault — a safe
  6. track — to keep track
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — a song
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rest — a break
  16. press — a publisher
  17. track — a path
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kid — child
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. press — to push
  24. pitcher — a jug

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