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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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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: wind · mark · lash · ball · content · firm · chair · vault

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. firm — a company
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wind — moving air
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. ball — a dance
  7. content — the amount
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chair — a leader
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. content — happy
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. ball — a great time
  24. lash — an eyelash

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