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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bound — certain
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bank — for money
  9. firm — decided
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. spring — a coil
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. firm — steady
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — a company
  18. saw — the tool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bound — tied together
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. spring — of water

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