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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 116 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. can — to be able to
  6. vault — a safe
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. can — a tin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. can — a tin
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. coach — a trainer

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