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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. vault — a safe
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ground — crushed
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. plane — a tool
  9. date — the fruit
  10. ground — a position
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. track — a song
  13. dip — to sink
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. track — a path
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. ground — the earth
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. date — on the calendar

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