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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. season — of the year
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stem — to come from
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. season — in sport
  17. vault — a safe
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. shower — rain
  22. stand — to bear
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stem — of a plant

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