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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: vault · kid · wave · file · stand · lash · bowl · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mug — a face
  8. file — a document
  9. kid — child
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. file — a line of people
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. file — a tool
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bowl — a football final

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