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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — to get on
  8. race — a contest
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. board — a committee
  11. vault — a safe
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fall — the season
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fall — to drop
  21. date — the fruit
  22. race — humankind
  23. perch — the fish
  24. date — on the calendar

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