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

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fork — in a road
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. swing — 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