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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fall — the season
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fall — to drop
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fine — high quality
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. fall — to drop
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fine — all right

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