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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: arm · lash · fork · vault · spell · rest · press · perch

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — magic
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. spell — a short time
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rest — a break
  17. press — to push
  18. fork — in a road
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. spell — letters

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