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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. spring — the season
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. face — part of the head
  9. net — after costs
  10. band — a ring
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. face — to confront
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. face — to point toward
  16. vault — a safe
  17. net — in sport
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stem — to come from
  21. spring — of water
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. band — a music group

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