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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. object — a thing
  5. club — for golf
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. object — an aim
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. club — for dancing
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. object — to protest
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. club — a group

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