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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: rash · saw · tube · spring · vault · fine · mate · kid

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mate — a partner
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rash — a series
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. tube — a container
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. spring — the season
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fine — all right
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. kid — child
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. vault — a safe
  19. spring — of water
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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