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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. spring — of water
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rock — music
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mate — to breed
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mate — a friend
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rock — a stone
  18. current — electric
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spring — the season
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. spring — a coil

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