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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. 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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. spell — magic
  3. file — a document
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. stem — to come from
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bound — tied together
  11. saw — the tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bound — certain
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. 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