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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. toast — bread
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. branch — a division
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. spring — a coil

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