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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rest — what's left
  3. drill — army training
  4. rock — a stone
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. swing — to play on
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rest — a break
  9. roll — a list
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. roll — a cake
  12. spring — a coil
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rest — what's left
  15. drill — the tool
  16. fine — all right
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rock — music
  20. spring — the season
  21. vault — a safe
  22. swing — music
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. fine — a penalty

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