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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 124 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stem — to come from
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spring — the season
  9. cap — of ice
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. toast — bread
  18. hand — in cards
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. spell — magic
  22. hand — help
  23. cap — a lid
  24. spring — of water

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