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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: kick · lash · bound · roll · bore · wake · vault · wave

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bound — tied together
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. kick — in football
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bound — obliged
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bound — certain
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. roll — a list
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wake — before a funeral

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