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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.

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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. vault — a safe
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. field — a subject
  5. spring — of water
  6. lean — thin
  7. spring — the season
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. current — happening now
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lean — to bend
  13. field — farmland
  14. band — a music group
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. field — for sport
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. band — a ring
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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