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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. board — a committee
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stem — to come from
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. board — to get on
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mug — a face
  11. mine — for digging
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mug — a cup
  14. vault — a safe
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mate — a partner
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mug — to rob
  24. nail — for a hammer

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