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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: wake · kick · firm · squash · fan · vault · cabinet · lash

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. firm — decided
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. firm — a company
  15. squash — to crush
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kick — in football
  20. firm — steady
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. squash — the vegetable

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