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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. stem — to come from
  3. object — to protest
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. capital — a city
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. vault — a safe
  9. face — to confront
  10. staff — employees
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. staff — employees
  13. face — to point toward
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. face — part of the head
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. capital — money
  21. object — a thing
  22. staff — a stick
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stem — a stem cell

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