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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bass — low music
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bass — the fish
  5. vault — a safe
  6. press — newspapers
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. press — a publisher
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. board — a committee
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. press — to push
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wave — with your hand

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