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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: mug · lash · staff · jam · cold · vault · can · wave

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cold — an illness
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mug — a cup
  6. staff — employees
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. staff — a stick
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. can — a tin
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. vault — a safe
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. staff — employees
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mug — a face
  24. cold — the Cold War

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