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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 116 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: season · vault · kid · field · stand · lash · object · row

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. object — a thing
  3. field — a subject
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. season — of the year
  6. row — to paddle
  7. field — for sport
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. season — in sport
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. row — a line
  13. object — to protest
  14. kid — child
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. object — an aim
  17. field — farmland
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. kid — to tease
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stand — to bear
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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