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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 116 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: hand · deal · spring · vault · trunk · wound · pitcher · bear

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. spring — the season
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bear — the animal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. spring — of water
  15. hand — help
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wound — an injury
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. spring — a coil
  24. deal — an agreement

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