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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 · ball · saw · present · rule · bear · nail · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rule — government
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. present — a gift
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bear — the animal
  14. present — there
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. present — the time now
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rule — a law
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bear — the animal

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