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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 116 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 · band · saw · stem · mug · perch · hand · track

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. vault — a safe
  5. band — a ring
  6. stem — to come from
  7. track — to keep track
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hand — help
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mug — a cup
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. band — a music group
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. band — a rubber band

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