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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bulb — for light
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mine — for digging
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. row — a line
  15. bulb — for light
  16. deal — to handle
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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