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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rest — what's left
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wind — moving air
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stem — to come from
  10. vault — a safe
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. field — for sport
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. field — a subject
  21. rest — a break
  22. field — farmland
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wind — moving air

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