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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. current — of water
  3. spring — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. object — to protest
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — the season
  11. bound — tied together
  12. vault — a safe
  13. object — a thing
  14. key — for a lock
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bound — certain
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. plane — a tool

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