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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. field — a subject
  5. root — of a word
  6. cell — in biology
  7. clip — for paper
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. root — the cause
  11. sharp — clever
  12. clip — a video
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cell — a phone
  15. clip — to cut
  16. object — a thing
  17. rush — hurry
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rush — a thrill

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