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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 120 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cap — a lid
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stem — to come from
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stock — shares
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stock — goods
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. suit — to fit
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stock — a soup base

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