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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. vault — a safe
  3. spring — of water
  4. perch — the fish
  5. suit — clothes
  6. land — to come down
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. foot — a measure
  9. spring — the season
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. land — ground
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. land — a country
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. suit — in cards
  21. track — to keep track
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mug — a face
  24. foot — part of the body

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