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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. spring — a coil
  3. craft — a skill
  4. spring — the season
  5. content — the amount
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. race — humankind
  13. fall — to drop
  14. race — a contest
  15. stem — to come from
  16. spring — of water
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. content — happy
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. content — videos and posts

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