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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. chest — of your body
  3. perch — the fish
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spring — a coil
  7. chest — of your body
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mug — a face
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mug — to rob
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. object — to protest
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. object — an aim
  16. chest — a box
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. vault — a safe
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. spring — of water
  23. object — a thing
  24. leaves — to go away

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