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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. foot — a measure
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cue — a signal
  13. branch — a division
  14. cue — for pool
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. march — music
  18. stem — to come from
  19. march — the month
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cue — a hint
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. march — the month

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