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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: club · lash · wax · ground · track · rash · vault · rule

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. club — a group
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. club — for dancing
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rule — government
  10. rash — a series
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rule — a law
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. ground — a position
  20. club — for golf
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lash — to lash out

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