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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: arm · key · mine · perch · spring · mark · vault · lash

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mark — a trace
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. key — the most important part
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mine — for digging
  12. perch — the fish
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. key — in music
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mark — a grade

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