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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. land — ground
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bank — of a river
  10. spring — of water
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. land — to come down
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. date — the fruit
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bank — for money
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. land — a country
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spring — the season
  24. bank — for money

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