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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: deal · arm · vault · date · mark · stem · rest · sharp

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rest — what's left
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rest — what's left
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stem — to come from
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. vault — a safe
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rest — a break
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. deal — to handle
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. date — the fruit

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