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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. spell — letters
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. field — farmland
  9. band — a music group
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. key — the most important part
  14. vault — a safe
  15. band — a ring
  16. key — for a lock
  17. field — a subject
  18. key — in music
  19. stem — to come from
  20. field — for sport
  21. spell — a short time
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ruler — a monarch

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