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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: stem · vault · fall · race · bank · staff

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bank — for money
  3. staff — employees
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. race — a contest
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bank — for money
  10. staff — employees
  11. race — the arms race
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fall — the season
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stem — to come from
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. race — humankind

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