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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. key — in music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. vault — a safe
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. spring — the season
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stock — goods
  15. fall — to drop
  16. key — for a lock
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stock — shares
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fall — the season

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