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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. track — to keep track
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. current — happening now
  8. craft — a skill
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. current — electric
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. track — a song
  16. current — of water
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. craft — boats
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stem — to come from
  24. track — a path

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