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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rest — a break
  4. cap — of ice
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rest — what's left
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cap — a hat
  10. vault — a safe
  11. snap — to click
  12. rest — what's left
  13. court — of a king
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tear — to rip
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stem — to come from
  22. court — of law
  23. cap — a lid
  24. court — for sport

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