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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: board · perch · cold · lash · wind · vault · foot · rush

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cold — not warm
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. vault — a safe
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cold — an illness
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wind — moving air
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lash — to lash out

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