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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. vault — a safe
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. march — music
  5. lean — to bend
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. land — a country
  10. march — the month
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lean — thin
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. land — to come down
  16. march — the month
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. land — ground

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