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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: lie · wax · chip · stem · spring · vault · perch · wake

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. spring — a coil
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chip — for betting
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chip — to eat
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. spring — the season
  22. wax — to grow
  23. spring — of water
  24. wake — a trail

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