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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. vault — a safe
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rash — a series
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kick — in football
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. toast — bread

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