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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: stick · stem · club · vault · straw · race

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. race — humankind
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stem — to come from
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. race — a contest
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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