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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. object — to protest
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. vault — a safe
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. drill — the tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. track — a path
  14. march — music
  15. object — an aim
  16. drill — a practice
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. swing — in golf
  19. drill — army training
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. swing — music
  22. track — a song
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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