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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a dance
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lean — thin
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. squash — the sport
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. ball — a great time
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. key — in music
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. key — for a lock
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stem — to come from
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lean — to bend
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fork — in a road

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