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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ground — the earth
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. hand — in cards
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. march — the month
  9. content — the amount
  10. hand — help
  11. march — music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. march — the month
  14. ground — crushed
  15. firm — decided
  16. stem — to come from
  17. content — happy
  18. ground — a position
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. firm — a company
  21. rest — what's left
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rest — a break
  24. firm — steady

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