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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bound — certain
  6. stem — to come from
  7. spring — the season
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. sharp — clever
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bat — the animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. spring — of water
  22. foot — a measure
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bound — tied together

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