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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 120 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 · capital · wake · lash · tube · sharp · mate · mine

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mine — for digging
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tube — a container
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. capital — money
  18. mate — a friend
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. capital — a city
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. vault — a safe

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