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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stem — to come from
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — a trail
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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