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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.

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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: saw · spring · vault · bear · wake · sharp · patient · press

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bear — the animal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spring — of water
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spring — a coil
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. press — to push
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wake — a trail
  18. saw — the tool
  19. vault — a safe
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. press — newspapers
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bear — the animal

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