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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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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: calf · rule · chest · vault · club · current · stem · roll

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. roll — a list
  3. current — of water
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rule — a law
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. current — electric
  8. club — for golf
  9. chest — a box
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stem — to come from
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. chest — of your body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. current — happening now
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. club — a group

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