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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. club — for golf
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stand — to bear
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pop — soda
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. club — for dancing
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. club — a group
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pop — music

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