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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. spring — of water
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mate — a friend
  5. spring — the season
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. band — a ring
  14. mate — a partner
  15. band — a music group
  16. mate — to breed
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. vault — a safe
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — to go away
  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