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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. spring — of water
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. court — of law
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. spring — a coil
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wake — a trail
  16. craft — boats
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rush — hurry
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. spring — the season
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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