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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wax · ball · press · bat · hand · stem · straw · vault

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stem — to come from
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wax — to grow
  21. hand — help
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. ball — a dance
  24. vault — a safe

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