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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mate — to breed
  3. vault — a safe
  4. board — a committee
  5. wake — a trail
  6. track — a song
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bear — the animal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stem — to come from
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. tube — a container
  15. mate — a partner
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — to get on
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mate — a friend

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