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

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. key — in music
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bank — for money
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pound — a weight
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. club — for golf
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cold — not warm
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. club — for dancing
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. lean — thin
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. club — a group
  24. cold — the Cold War

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