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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 120 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: lean · charge · wind · vault · stem · snap

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. vault — a safe
  4. snap — to click
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lean — thin
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. charge — a price
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lean — to bend

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