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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ground — the earth
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. band — a music group
  9. rock — a stone
  10. band — a ring
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rock — music
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bank — for money
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ground — a position
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. spring — of water
  24. cabinet — ministers

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