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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: rash · prune · track · fan · cabinet · content · vault · lash

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. prune — to trim
  8. track — a path
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rash — hasty
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. track — a song
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rash — a series

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