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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mug — a cup
  5. prune — to trim
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. file — a tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mug — a face
  14. bark — to shout
  15. file — a document
  16. staff — employees
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stem — to come from
  20. staff — employees
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

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