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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. capital — a city
  3. object — a thing
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. vault — a safe
  8. spring — of water
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wake — a trail
  15. current — happening now
  16. object — to protest
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rush — hurry
  20. spring — the season
  21. object — an aim
  22. capital — money
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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