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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: spring · vault · jam · bore · mate · stick · wound · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spring — a coil
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mate — a friend
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. spring — of water
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. spring — the season
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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