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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. snap — to click
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cue — a signal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cue — a hint
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wind — moving air
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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