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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.

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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: lash · wake · current · plane · chest · stand · vault · squash

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wake — a trail
  4. squash — to crush
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chest — of your body
  7. plane — a tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. vault — a safe
  14. current — electric
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. current — of water
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stand — to bear
  22. squash — the sport
  23. current — happening now
  24. chest — a box

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