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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. last — final
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rush — hurry
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. last — finally
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. last — to go on
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. temple — a place of worship

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