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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bank — for money
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spring — the season
  12. bank — for money
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bank — of a river
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. roll — a list
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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