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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: mouse · vault · stem · firm · prune · straw · hand · chest

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. firm — a company
  9. chest — a box
  10. hand — in cards
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stem — to come from
  13. hand — help
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. firm — steady
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. firm — decided
  23. chest — of your body
  24. hand — part of the body

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