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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. lash — an eyelash
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. club — a group
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. court — of a king
  8. club — for dancing
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. club — for golf
  12. mine — for digging
  13. court — of law
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — for sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hand — help
  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