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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: vault · spell · lash · kid · plane · rush · pop · row

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. kid — to tease
  6. vault — a safe
  7. kid — child
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pop — soda
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. spell — a short time
  24. plane — in geometry

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