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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: rock · lean · mine · pit · lash · vault · bay · rest

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lean — thin
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lean — to bend
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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