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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: mine · vault · staff · court · lash · lean · rush · current

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rush — hurry
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. staff — employees
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. current — electric
  11. lean — to bend
  12. court — of law
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. vault — a safe
  18. court — for sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. lean — thin

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