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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bank — of a river
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. key — for a lock
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bank — for money
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bank — for money
  16. key — in music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chair — a leader
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. date — on the calendar

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