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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. chest — of your body
  3. spring — of water
  4. bound — certain
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. spring — the season
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bound — obliged
  10. suit — in cards
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. craft — boats
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rash — a series
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. suit — to fit
  18. chest — a box
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. craft — a skill
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rash — hasty
  23. suit — clothes
  24. spring — a coil

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