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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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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: spring · game · stem · key · saw · vault · arm · spell

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stem — to come from
  4. spell — magic
  5. key — for a lock
  6. saw — the tool
  7. key — in music
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spring — a coil
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. vault — a safe
  20. game — a match
  21. key — the most important part
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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