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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 116 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. staff — a stick
  9. band — a ring
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. spring — the season
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. staff — employees
  19. pass — a permit
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — to get on
  24. bear — to put up with

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