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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: rash · cold · lash · vault · saw · bore · bank · racket

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bank — for money
  6. cold — not warm
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bank — for money
  13. bore — to drill
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. vault — a safe

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