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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 120 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: rush · vault · spring · board · ball · bear · season · spell

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. spring — the season
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spell — magic
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spring — of water
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. board — a committee
  18. season — in sport
  19. vault — a safe
  20. board — to get on
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rush — hurry
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spell — a short time

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