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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spring · vault · wax · lash · mark · swing · court · ground

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. vault — a safe
  4. spring — the season
  5. ground — a position
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. swing — music
  8. mark — a grade
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. court — of a king
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. ground — crushed
  16. court — of law
  17. swing — in golf
  18. spring — of water
  19. wax — to grow
  20. court — for sport
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mark — a trace
  23. spring — a coil
  24. swing — to play on

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