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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fall — the season
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. vault — a safe
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lean — thin
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pop — music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. spring — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lean — to bend
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pop — soda
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. snap — to click
  19. squash — the sport
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fall — to drop
  23. spring — of water
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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