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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rash — hasty
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wind — moving air
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rash — a series
  23. vault — a safe
  24. saw — the tool

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