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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. file — a document
  3. rock — a stone
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mate — a friend
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mate — a partner
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. craft — a skill
  13. file — a tool
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. craft — boats
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. plane — a tool
  24. craft — a handicraft

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