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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 120 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. ball — a great time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. vault — a safe
  10. spring — a coil
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. spring — of water
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. hand — help
  17. season — of the year
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. land — ground
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. season — in sport
  24. wave — with your hand

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