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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mug — a face
  10. vault — a safe
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wake — a trail
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. court — of a king
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mug — a cup
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mine — for digging
  21. court — for sport
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. shower — rain

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