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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 120 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. land — a country
  3. shower — to wash
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stem — to come from
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. land — ground
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. craft — a skill
  17. file — a tool
  18. shower — rain
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. file — a line of people
  22. land — to come down
  23. file — a document
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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