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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mine — for digging
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. club — for golf
  8. ground — a position
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. chair — a leader
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ground — the earth

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