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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: rash · trunk · bat · roll · bear · lash · firm · vault

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bear — the animal
  5. firm — decided
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. firm — a company
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bear — the animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. firm — steady
  22. rash — a series
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bat — for baseball

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