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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. track — a path
  4. cold — not warm
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. key — the most important part
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mate — a friend
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. current — electric
  16. mate — to breed
  17. current — happening now
  18. cold — an illness
  19. current — of water
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. key — in music
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mate — a partner
  24. key — for a lock

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