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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
468
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: mate · spring · roll · object · chest · stand · shower · craft

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. object — an aim
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. shower — rain
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chest — a box
  9. spring — the season
  10. object — to protest
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chest — of your body
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. craft — boats
  16. object — a thing
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mate — to breed
  21. spring — of water
  22. shower — to wash
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stand — on your feet

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