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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. spring — of water
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stock — goods
  6. craft — boats
  7. spring — a coil
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spring — the season
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stock — shares
  16. wound — an injury
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. scale — size or range
  21. craft — a skill
  22. scale — in music
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wave — of the sea

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