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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stem — to come from
  3. court — of a king
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. ground — a position
  8. kick — in football
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. court — of law
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rock — music
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cell — in biology
  18. ground — crushed
  19. court — for sport
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rock — a stone
  22. ground — the earth
  23. vault — a safe
  24. kick — a thrill

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