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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · cell · wound · patient · bowl · vault · stem · toast

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. content — the amount
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wound — an injury
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. content — happy
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cell — a phone

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