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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stem — to come from
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. field — a subject
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. field — for sport
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pop — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pop — soda
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. field — farmland
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pop — to visit

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