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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pop — music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cue — a signal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pop — to visit
  11. clip — for paper
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pop — soda
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. clip — to cut
  17. race — a contest
  18. spring — the season
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. clip — a video
  23. cue — a hint
  24. safe — out of danger

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