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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fall — the season
  8. swing — to play on
  9. squash — to crush
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. swing — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rock — music
  24. mouse — the animal

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