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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. spring — of water
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. object — an aim
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rest — a break
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stem — to come from
  15. spring — the season
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. pop — music
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pop — soda
  24. cold — the Cold War

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