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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mark — a grade
  11. scale — in music
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. scale — size or range
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — to trim

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