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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. kick — in football
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bark — to shout
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. vault — a safe
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. staff — employees
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wake — before a funeral

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