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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 · key · pit · kick · rest · patient · lash · hide

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pit — a hole
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. key — for a lock
  7. kick — in football
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. pit — in a race
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. key — in music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rest — what's left

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