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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: spring · ball · fine · vault · lean · firm · field · hand

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. firm — steady
  3. field — a subject
  4. fine — high quality
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fine — all right
  7. lean — thin
  8. spring — the season
  9. lean — to bend
  10. spring — of water
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. spring — a coil
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hand — help
  18. firm — a company
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. field — farmland
  21. hand — in cards
  22. field — for sport
  23. firm — decided
  24. ball — a dance

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