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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 · fan · stem · cell · stand · snap · scale · tube

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. vault — a safe
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. tube — a container
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cell — a phone
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — in music
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cell — in a prison

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