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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.

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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. kick — in football
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. saw — the tool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mark — a trace
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wake — a trail
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lash — to lash out

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