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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. degree — temperature
  4. craft — a skill
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. degree — from a university
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stem — to come from
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. vault — a safe
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. craft — boats
  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