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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: lash · current · vault · arm · snap · leaves · bound · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. vault — a safe
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. current — happening now
  12. chair — a leader
  13. current — electric
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bound — obliged
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. current — of water
  23. snap — to click
  24. arm — part of the body

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