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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: vault · net · mug · stem · ball · lean · squash · last

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. last — final
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mug — to rob
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mug — a face
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ball — a dance
  12. net — in sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. last — to go on
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. last — finally
  22. stem — to come from
  23. vault — a safe
  24. ball — a great time

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