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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. deal — to handle
  9. plane — a tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. vault — a safe
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. spring — the season
  19. scale — in music
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. scale — size or range

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