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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. rock — music
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. board — a committee
  9. rash — a series
  10. rock — a stone
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rash — hasty
  17. board — to get on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. can — a tin
  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