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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. spring — of water
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. drill — the tool
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. prune — to trim
  8. drill — army training
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rule — a law
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. tube — a container
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. drill — a practice
  18. spring — a coil
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. spring — the season
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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