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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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Word bank
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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: chip · fan · last · lean · chair · vault · date · pound

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chip — for betting
  5. last — finally
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. last — to go on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pound — a weight
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. date — the fruit
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. vault — a safe
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. last — final
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. lean — thin
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. date — on the calendar

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