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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 124 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: spell · hide · pit · vault · band · fine · lash · straw

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pit — a hole
  5. spell — magic
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spell — a short time
  10. band — a ring
  11. vault — a safe
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. band — a music group
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spell — letters
  24. fine — a penalty

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