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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. season — in sport
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stem — to come from
  7. swing — in golf
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. swing — to play on
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. vault — a safe
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. season — of the year
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. swing — music

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