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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. band — a ring
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bass — low music
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. vault — a safe
  10. band — a music group
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lean — thin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lean — to bend
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stem — to come from
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rash — a series

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