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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rest — what's left
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. hand — help
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. object — to protest
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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