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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 water is too ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rest — a break
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. scale — in music
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. scale — size or range
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rest — what's left
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cold — an illness

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