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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 124 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mug — a cup
  4. last — final
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. rock — music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rock — a stone
  22. hand — help
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mug — a face

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