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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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. vault — in gymnastics
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ground — the earth
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ground — a position
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lean — thin
  24. ground — crushed

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