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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spring — of water
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rash — hasty
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. spring — the season
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rash — a series
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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