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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. vault — a safe
  6. land — a country
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rest — what's left
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. land — to come down
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. swing — to play on
  20. land — ground
  21. rest — a break
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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