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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. file — a line of people
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. clip — for paper
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. vault — a safe
  17. clip — a video
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. clip — to cut
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. root — of a plant

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