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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. vault — a safe
  6. suit — clothes
  7. spring — a coil
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. spring — of water
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cold — not warm
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cold — an illness
  24. spring — the season

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