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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spring — the season
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — of water
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mark — a trace
  11. craft — a skill
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bore — to tire
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. craft — boats
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lash — an eyelash

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