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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bank — for money
  6. spring — of water
  7. fine — high quality
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. spring — the season
  12. present — there
  13. pit — a hole
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. present — a gift
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bank — of a river
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pit — in a race
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — the time now

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