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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: saw · racket · vault · lash · fall · mate · root · arm

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mate — to breed
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fall — the season
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. root — of a plant
  13. vault — a safe
  14. fall — to drop
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mate — a partner
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. arm — a part of something
  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