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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: kid · suit · charge · vault · lash · content · band · pop

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. band — a ring
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. charge — a price
  8. vault — a safe
  9. suit — in cards
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. content — happy
  12. kid — to tease
  13. charge — in control
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pop — to visit
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pop — soda
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. content — the amount
  20. kid — child
  21. pop — music
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  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