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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. field — a subject
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. vault — a safe
  5. field — farmland
  6. suit — to fit
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. squash — the sport
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. suit — clothes
  11. spring — the season
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. squash — to crush
  18. spring — a coil
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. field — for sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wave — of the sea

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