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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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 — a coil
  2. rush — hurry
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. press — newspapers
  9. spring — of water
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bear — the animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. spring — the season
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ball — a great time
  16. press — to push
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. press — a publisher
  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