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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spring — a coil
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spring — of water
  5. vault — a safe
  6. board — to get on
  7. last — final
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. last — finally
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. plane — a tool
  14. perch — the fish
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. staff — employees
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. last — to go on
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spring — the season
  23. board — a committee
  24. staff — employees

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