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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. spring — the season
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cap — a lid
  13. vault — a safe
  14. spring — of water
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cold — not warm
  24. rest — a break

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