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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. staff — a stick
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fine — all right
  7. shower — rain
  8. stem — to come from
  9. squash — the sport
  10. shower — to wash
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. staff — employees
  13. squash — to crush
  14. staff — employees
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chest — a box
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. vault — a safe
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fine — high quality

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