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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. present — there
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chest — of your body
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. charge — electricity
  8. game — wild animals
  9. spring — a coil
  10. charge — a price
  11. present — a gift
  12. bore — to tire
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. game — a match
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. spring — of water
  19. charge — in control
  20. vault — a safe
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chest — a box
  23. bore — to drill
  24. present — the time now

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