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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pop — music
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pop — to visit
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. clip — a video
  22. pop — soda
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lash — an eyelash

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