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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — of water
  4. season — of the year
  5. roll — a list
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. spell — letters
  12. press — a publisher
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. spell — magic
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. spring — the season
  19. press — newspapers
  20. spell — a short time
  21. vault — a safe
  22. press — to push
  23. roll — a cake
  24. lash — to lash out

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