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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 116 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stem — to come from
  5. saw — the tool
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. swing — in golf
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. swing — music
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. saw — the tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fork — to eat with

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