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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bank — for money
  9. spell — letters
  10. scale — size or range
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bank — of a river
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. scale — in music
  21. bank — for money
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. scale — for weighing

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