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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: fine · ground · vault · deal · wax · lash · mine · chair

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. ground — a position
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. chair — a leader

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