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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bass — low music
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. firm — a company
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bass — the fish
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. club — for dancing
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. firm — steady
  18. club — a group
  19. firm — decided
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. tube — a container
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rule — government
  24. vault — a safe

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