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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
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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: row · leaves · ground · spring · present · object · suit · vault

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. suit — to fit
  3. row — a line
  4. object — to protest
  5. present — the time now
  6. spring — the season
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. present — there
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. vault — a safe
  14. suit — in cards
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. present — a gift
  19. suit — clothes
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. spring — a coil
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ground — the earth

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