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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: date · board · wake · jam · stick · vault · mine · spring

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. vault — a safe
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. spring — of water
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — a trail
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. spring — the season
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spring — a coil

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