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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: swing · snap · saw · arm · vault · patient · lash · cue

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. swing — to play on
  3. vault — a safe
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. swing — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cue — for pool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. swing — in golf
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. snap — to click
  24. cue — a signal

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