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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. tube — a container
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. tube — the underground
  14. club — for dancing
  15. band — a music group
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cold — not warm
  23. band — a ring
  24. fine — all right

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