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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rest — a break
  3. spring — of water
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rash — a series
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. present — the time now
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. key — for a lock
  12. spring — the season
  13. rest — what's left
  14. key — the most important part
  15. present — a gift
  16. spring — a coil
  17. key — in music
  18. tube — a container
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rash — hasty
  21. kid — child
  22. tube — the underground
  23. present — there
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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