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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bore — to tire
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stem — to come from
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fork — in a road
  18. swing — to play on
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. swing — music
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fork — to eat with

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