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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. stem — to come from
  11. charge — in control
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. firm — steady
  15. clip — a video
  16. dip — to sink
  17. charge — electricity
  18. clip — for paper
  19. firm — a company
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. clip — to cut
  23. charge — a price
  24. firm — decided

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