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

Word bank: spring · wave · vault · root · swing · date · firm · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. swing — music
  8. root — of a plant
  9. kid — to tease
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. swing — in golf
  12. firm — steady
  13. spring — of water
  14. kid — child
  15. root — the cause
  16. vault — a safe
  17. root — of a word
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. date — on the calendar

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