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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 116 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: lash · pitcher · rule · vault · straw · calf · saw · mate

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rule — government
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rule — a law
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. vault — a safe
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mate — a partner
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. saw — the tool

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