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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: fine · vault · content · lash · pass · rash · land · kick

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. land — to come down
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fine — all right
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. vault — a safe
  14. land — ground
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rash — a series
  20. land — a country
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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