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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 120 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: pass · stick · lash · sharp · calf · vault · bark · club

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. club — a group
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pass — a permit
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. club — for golf
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pass — to spend time

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