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

Word bank: lash · fan · wave · vault · clip · ball · sharp · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. clip — for paper
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. land — a country
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. land — ground
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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