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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. spring — the season
  8. track — a song
  9. spring — a coil
  10. march — the month
  11. lean — thin
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. track — to keep track
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. track — a path
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stem — to come from
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. spring — of water
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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