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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. can — a tin
  3. spring — a coil
  4. band — a music group
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. spring — of water
  7. band — a ring
  8. present — there
  9. file — a document
  10. present — a gift
  11. vault — a safe
  12. present — the time now
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. can — a tin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. spring — the season

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