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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cap — a hat
  5. field — a subject
  6. tube — a container
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tube — the underground
  12. last — finally
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rule — government
  15. field — for sport
  16. vault — a safe
  17. last — to go on
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. field — farmland
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rule — a law
  23. cap — of ice
  24. last — final

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