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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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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: lash · hand · mark · vault · cabinet · spring · perch · fall

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. spring — a coil
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. spring — of water
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fall — to drop
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fall — the season
  16. mark — a grade
  17. vault — a safe
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hand — help
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — the fish

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