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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. spring — of water
  9. spell — magic
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bore — to tire
  17. spell — letters
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stem — to come from
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bore — to drill

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