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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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