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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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. suit — in cards
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. field — for sport
  6. suit — clothes
  7. shower — rain
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. suit — to fit
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. court — of a king
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. spring — of water
  21. shower — to wash
  22. court — for sport
  23. board — to get on
  24. court — of law

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