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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: stem · rash · sharp · vault · band · bank · craft · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — a match
  9. craft — boats
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bank — for money
  12. rash — hasty
  13. sharp — clever
  14. band — a ring
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rash — a series
  17. vault — a safe
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. band — a music 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