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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: lean · pop · vault · lash · pitch · chest · net · rest

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pop — music
  6. net — in sport
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lean — thin
  13. rest — a break
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. chest — a box
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rest — what's left

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