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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: lean · firm · straw · nail · lash · fall · wake · vault

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. firm — a company
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lean — thin
  6. firm — steady
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fall — the season
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fall — to drop
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. firm — decided

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