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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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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 · snap · tear · wax · arm · lie · vault

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. snap — to click
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. vault — a safe
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. kick — in football
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. tear — from crying

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