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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: wind · squash · hide · firm · perch · vault · calf · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. firm — a company
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. vault — a safe
  12. firm — steady
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. squash — the sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. firm — decided
  22. perch — the fish
  23. squash — to crush
  24. perch — for a bird

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