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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. spring — of water
  8. key — in music
  9. spring — the season
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. vault — a safe
  12. clip — a video
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fork — in a road
  15. spring — a coil
  16. key — the most important part
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. tube — a container
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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