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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. spring — of water
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. toast — bread
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. spring — the season
  14. board — a committee
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. board — to get on
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. wake — a trail
  20. current — electric
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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