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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. spring — the season
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spring — of water
  6. season — of the year
  7. wound — an injury
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. season — in sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rash — hasty
  21. spring — a coil
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wound — an injury
  24. season — to add flavour

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