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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: cell · fine · lash · snap · saw · rest · wind · vault

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rest — a break
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fine — all right
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cell — in biology
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. snap — to click

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