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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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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: rock · vault · chair · clip · net · object · lash · fall

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. net — after costs
  4. rock — a stone
  5. object — an aim
  6. fall — to drop
  7. clip — to cut
  8. vault — a safe
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. fall — the season
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. object — a thing
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. object — to protest
  17. clip — a video
  18. rock — music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. chair — a leader
  23. clip — for paper
  24. lash — an eyelash

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