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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. spring — the season
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. spring — of water
  5. band — a music group
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — a coil
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. saw — the tool
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. vault — a safe
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bear — the animal

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