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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ground — a position
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ground — the earth
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wound — an injury
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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