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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
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: vault · scale · track · band · tear · suit · game · lash

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. vault — a safe
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. game — a match
  5. track — a path
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. suit — in cards
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. track — a song
  10. game — wild animals
  11. tear — from crying
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. scale — in music
  14. band — a music group
  15. tear — from crying
  16. track — to keep track
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. band — a ring
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. scale — size or range
  21. suit — clothes
  22. tear — to rip
  23. suit — to fit
  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