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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mine — for digging
  5. staff — employees
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. staff — employees
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. drill — a practice
  12. saw — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wake — a trail
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mouse — for a computer

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