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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stock — shares
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — a price
  9. stem — to come from
  10. clip — for paper
  11. season — in sport
  12. charge — in control
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stock — goods
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. clip — a video
  20. cap — of ice
  21. season — of the year
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cap — a hat
  24. clip — to cut

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