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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — a practice
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. vault — a safe
  21. game — a match
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stem — to come from

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