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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: drill · lash · straw · wave · file · net · vault · fork

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. drill — a practice
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. drill — army training
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. file — a document
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. file — a tool
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. net — for catching
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. net — after costs
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. file — a line of people
  19. net — in sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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