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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rash — a series
  4. dip — to sink
  5. band — a ring
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. band — a music group
  8. land — a country
  9. current — happening now
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. current — electric
  20. rash — hasty
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fork — in a road
  23. vault — a safe
  24. current — of water

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