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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: race · vault · stem · calf · root · object

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. object — a thing
  3. root — of a plant
  4. object — to protest
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — an aim
  7. root — of a word
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. race — humankind
  12. root — the cause
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest

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