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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. club — for golf
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cap — of ice
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rash — a series
  10. cap — a lid
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fork — in a road
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. club — a group
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rash — hasty
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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