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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spring — the season
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. spring — of water
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spring — a coil
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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