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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. chip — to eat
  5. craft — boats
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. vault — a safe
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. craft — a skill
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chip — in a computer

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