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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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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 · lie · chip · cell · stem · season · firm · bear

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bear — the animal
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. cell — a phone
  13. chip — for betting
  14. firm — steady
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cell — in biology
  17. firm — decided
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. firm — a company
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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