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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fall — to drop
  13. club — for dancing
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rush — hurry
  17. club — for golf
  18. fall — the season
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stem — to come from
  24. club — a group

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