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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 · chip · vault · deal · wind · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wind — moving air
  5. vault — a safe
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. chip — for betting
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wind — moving air
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stem — of a plant

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