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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: chair · chip · coach · mine · lean · mouse · vault · lash

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lean — thin
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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