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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spring — of water
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spring — a coil
  9. swing — to play on
  10. kick — in football
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. swing — music
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. vault — a safe
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. swing — in golf

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