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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. band — a ring
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. kid — child
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. court — for sport
  21. band — a music group
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. object — a thing
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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