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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. root — of a word
  3. last — final
  4. dip — to sink
  5. vault — a safe
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. club — a group
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. root — the cause
  10. club — for dancing
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. last — finally
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ball — a dance
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. club — for golf
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. root — of a plant
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. last — to go on

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