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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 116 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: can · lash · vault · straw · bound · rock · row · fork

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rock — a stone
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rock — music
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. row — a line
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bound — tied together

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