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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: deal · spring · vault · bass · calf · leaves · board · straw

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bass — the fish
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — a safe
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. deal — to handle
  16. board — a committee
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bass — low music
  20. spring — of water
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. board — to get on
  24. deal — a big deal

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