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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. content — happy
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pop — music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pop — soda
  13. pit — in a race
  14. face — to confront
  15. craft — boats
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. vault — a safe
  19. hand — help
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stem — to come from

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