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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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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: clip · fine · firm · lash · wake · vault · jam · hide

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. firm — steady
  6. fine — all right
  7. clip — a video
  8. firm — decided
  9. fine — high quality
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. clip — for paper
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wake — a trail
  18. clip — to cut
  19. firm — a company
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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