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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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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: bay · rest · rock · prune · vault · straw · spring · nail

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spring — of water
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spring — the season
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rock — music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. prune — to trim
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. prune — to trim
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rock — a stone
  24. prune — the fruit

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