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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 120 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 · stem · ball · perch · wax · firm · root · lash

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. root — of a word
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. root — of a plant
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. firm — decided
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. root — the cause
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stem — to come from
  23. firm — steady
  24. perch — for a bird

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