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

Word bank: vault · pass · arm · kick · wave · toast · patient · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. kick — in football
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. toast — bread
  22. vault — a safe
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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