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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bat — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. net — after costs
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — for catching
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. net — in sport
  24. bat — in an idiom

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