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

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — of water
  4. last — to go on
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. object — to protest
  7. firm — decided
  8. drill — army training
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. firm — a company
  13. drill — a practice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spring — a coil
  16. drill — the tool
  17. vault — a safe
  18. prune — to trim
  19. firm — steady
  20. last — finally
  21. object — a thing
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. last — final
  24. object — an aim

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