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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: lash · vault · bore · wind · degree · fork · mark · can

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bore — to drill
  3. vault — a safe
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — to tire
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wind — to turn a key

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