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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · trunk · mine · vault · spell · mate · rash · season

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mate — a partner
  4. spell — letters
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. spell — a short time
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spell — magic
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. season — of the year
  13. mate — to breed
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. season — in sport
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mine — for digging

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