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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. date — the fruit
  4. spell — a short time
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. vault — a safe
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bulb — for light
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. spell — magic
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. spell — letters
  24. date — on the calendar

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