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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. court — of law
  7. spring — of water
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. court — for sport
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. court — of a king
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — a trail
  14. vault — a safe
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. spring — the season
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fine — all right

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