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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: wake · vault · plane · mouse · club · chair · cap · wind

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cap — a lid
  10. club — a group
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. vault — a safe
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. club — for golf
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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