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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lie — to recline
  3. object — an aim
  4. vault — a safe
  5. spring — of water
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — certain
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bound — obliged

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