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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 120 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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. vault — a safe
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. bark — to shout
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. plane — a tool
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stock — goods

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