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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cap — a hat
  3. ground — a position
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ground — crushed
  7. spring — a coil
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spring — of water
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cap — of ice
  13. spell — letters
  14. ground — the earth
  15. charge — a price
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cap — a lid
  20. charge — in control
  21. spell — magic
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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