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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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Word bank
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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: lean · march · vault · pop · rule · stem

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pop — music
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pop — soda
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. march — the month
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. lean — to bend
  18. march — the month

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