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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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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: staff · vault · rash · lash · bat · rest · prune · track

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rash — a series
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rash — hasty
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. track — a song
  10. staff — employees
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bat — the animal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rest — a break
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. staff — employees

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