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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bank — of a river
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. vault — a safe
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rest — a break
  17. kick — in football
  18. bank — for money
  19. file — a document
  20. cold — an illness
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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