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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: kick · cabinet · vault · drill · stock · wake · bay · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. lash — to lash out
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. kick — in football
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. wake — a trail
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. drill — the tool
  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