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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wind — moving air

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