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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: sharp · vault · calf · bass · lash · stick · can · snap

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. can — to be able to
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bass — low music
  16. sharp — clever
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. can — a tin
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. can — a tin
  24. calf — a young animal

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