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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: wound · spell · vault · foot · degree · arm · spring · track

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. foot — a measure
  3. spring — of water
  4. spell — a short time
  5. track — to keep track
  6. degree — temperature
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wound — an injury
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. vault — a safe
  11. spring — the season
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. spell — magic
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wound — an injury
  18. track — a path
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spell — letters
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. degree — an amount
  23. track — a song
  24. degree — from a university

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