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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lean — thin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rest — a break
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cell — a phone
  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