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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. toast — bread
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cue — a hint
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. spring — of water
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — a video
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. clip — for paper
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. spring — a coil
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bound — tied together
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bound — certain
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bound — obliged

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