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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: face · deal · mouse · last · lash · mark · bark · vault

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bark — to shout
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. deal — to handle
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. face — to confront
  15. last — to go on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mark — a trace
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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