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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: pitcher · lash · spell · vault · date · bound · hide · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rush — hurry
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bound — certain
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. spell — magic
  14. bound — tied together
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bound — obliged
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spell — letters
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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