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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. roll — a cake
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. staff — employees
  5. spring — the season
  6. rush — hurry
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. charge — a price
  10. club — for dancing
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. spring — of water
  17. staff — employees
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. roll — a list
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wind — moving air
  24. vault — a safe

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