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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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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 · tear · sharp · stem · stick · season · spell · present

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. present — there
  3. sharp — clever
  4. spell — letters
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. season — of the year
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. present — the time now
  9. season — in sport
  10. tear — to rip
  11. spell — magic
  12. present — a gift
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — a short time
  15. tear — from crying
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stem — to come from
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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