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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 happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. sharp — clever
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ground — the earth
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bear — the animal
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bear — the animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. shower — rain
  20. mate — to breed
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mate — a friend
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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