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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
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Word bank
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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: lash · pop · mine · lean · swing · fork · vault · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pop — soda
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lean — thin
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mine — for digging
  12. vault — a safe
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rash — a series
  19. swing — music
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pop — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rash — hasty

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