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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 124 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stem — to come from
  4. hand — help
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — thin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mug — a face
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hand — in cards
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. mug — to rob
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cell — a phone

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