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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: safe · prune · cue · dip · capital · stem · vault · spring

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — a coil
  9. cue — for pool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. vault — a safe
  12. spring — the season
  13. capital — money
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stem — to come from
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. spring — of water
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. capital — a city
  23. prune — to trim
  24. safe — out of danger

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