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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. craft — a skill
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wake — a trail
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mate — a friend
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. net — after costs
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. net — in sport
  19. spring — the season
  20. craft — boats
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. net — for catching

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