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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fall — to drop
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fall — the season
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. field — a subject
  10. suit — clothes
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fall — to drop
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. spring — the season
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. field — farmland
  18. bear — the animal
  19. scale — in music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. field — for sport
  22. suit — to fit
  23. spring — of water
  24. bear — to put up with

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