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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. face — to point toward
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. file — a tool
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. face — to confront
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. face — part of the head
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. file — a document
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. vault — a safe

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