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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: stem · land · rush · lash · patient · spring · vault · roll

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spring — of water
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. roll — a list
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. land — a country
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. spring — the season
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. spring — a coil
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stem — to come from
  23. land — to come down
  24. stem — a stem cell

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