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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. file — a document
  3. present — the time now
  4. file — a line of people
  5. present — there
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. board — a committee
  8. stem — to come from
  9. board — to get on
  10. present — a gift
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. file — a tool
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bound — tied together
  18. board — a flat piece

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