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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lean — thin
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fine — all right
  22. deal — to handle
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. band — a music group

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