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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: stick · vault · stem · bark · lean · ruler

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lean — thin
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bark — to shout
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from

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