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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. snap — to click
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bear — the animal
  6. swing — music
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bear — the animal
  12. swing — to play on
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. branch — a division
  21. rest — what's left
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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