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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mug — a cup
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. spring — of water
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. shower — to wash
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. shower — rain
  16. game — wild animals
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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