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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. current — happening now
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. firm — a company
  7. vault — a safe
  8. current — of water
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. firm — decided
  13. spring — a coil
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. current — electric
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spring — the season
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. spring — of water
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. deal — an agreement

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