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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spring — the season
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stem — to come from
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. spring — of water
  16. pass — a permit
  17. vault — a safe
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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