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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. vault — a safe
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. land — ground
  12. board — to get on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. land — to come down
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. board — a committee
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lash — an eyelash

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