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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. staff — employees
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stock — shares
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. spring — of water
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stock — goods
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. race — the arms race
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. race — humankind
  23. ball — a great time
  24. race — a contest

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