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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · vault · jam · present · lash · date · spring · drill

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rock — a stone
  4. present — there
  5. spring — a coil
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. present — the time now
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. drill — army training
  13. present — a gift
  14. drill — the tool
  15. spring — of water
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. drill — a practice
  18. spring — the season
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rock — music

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