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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: vault · last · lash · snap · stem · lie · rock · net

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — music
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. last — final
  9. net — after costs
  10. snap — to click
  11. last — to go on
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. net — for catching
  15. stem — to come from
  16. net — in sport
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rock — a stone
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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