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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. last — finally
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pass — a permit
  11. stock — shares
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. bat — the animal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stock — goods
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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