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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. key — the most important part
  5. net — after costs
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. object — an aim
  8. wax — to grow
  9. key — for a lock
  10. net — for catching
  11. object — to protest
  12. key — in music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. net — in sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — a safe
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. object — a thing
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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