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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 116 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: net · vault · squash · cell · stand · stem

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stem — to come from
  4. net — for catching
  5. cell — a phone
  6. vault — a safe
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cell — in biology
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. squash — to crush

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