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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 120 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spring — a coil
  4. vault — a safe
  5. object — to protest
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spring — of water
  8. season — of the year
  9. cap — a lid
  10. season — in sport
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mug — a face
  14. object — a thing
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spring — the season
  18. object — an aim
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rest — a break
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mark — a trace

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