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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: safe · bulb · lash · chest · vault · mouse · wake · stand

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. chest — of your body
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chest — of your body
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. chest — a box
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stand — on your feet

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