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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 124 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mark — a trace
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wind — moving air
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wind — moving air
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hand — help
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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