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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: rock · vault · bat · nail · cell · bear · saw · lash

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bat — the animal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. saw — the tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rock — music
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cell — a phone

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