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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. race — a contest
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. race — the arms race
  9. hand — help
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. suit — in cards
  15. snap — to click
  16. race — humankind
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pitch — completely
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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