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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mug — a face
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spring — of water
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pound — a weight
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mug — to rob
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lean — thin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pound — for dogs

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