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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rest — a break
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spring — the season
  7. ground — a position
  8. hand — help
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spring — of water
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ground — the earth
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bay — a horse colour

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