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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wound — an injury
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. staff — employees
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wound — an injury
  13. firm — steady
  14. staff — employees
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bass — low music
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. firm — a company
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — decided

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