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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stem — to come from
  6. vault — a safe
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cold — an illness
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wax — to grow
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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