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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. last — finally
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. vault — a safe
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. last — to go on
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. current — of water
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — final
  18. chest — a box
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. stem — to come from

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