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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. net — for catching
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. firm — decided
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. net — after costs
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cold — not warm
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. vault — a safe
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. net — in sport
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. firm — a company
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. firm — steady

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