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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. spring — of water
  3. season — in sport
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rush — hurry
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. vault — a safe
  11. shower — rain
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. current — electric
  15. season — of the year
  16. spring — a coil
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spring — the season
  19. current — of water
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. current — happening now
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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