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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. spring — a coil
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hand — help
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. can — a tin
  8. firm — a company
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. hand — in cards
  13. firm — steady
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. band — a music group
  17. prune — to trim
  18. band — a ring
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. can — a tin
  24. firm — decided

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