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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fall — to drop
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bulb — for light
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — a hat
  17. swing — music
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fall — the season
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cap — of ice

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