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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. spring — of water
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. firm — decided
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. court — of law
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. firm — steady
  14. spring — the season
  15. firm — a company
  16. court — for sport
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mark — a grade
  22. court — of a king
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mark — a trace

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