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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · straw · rule · suit · date · chair · lash · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rule — government
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. suit — clothes
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. suit — to fit
  15. chair — a leader
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rule — a law
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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