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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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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: stem · bat · spell · mate · vault · press · rest · chair

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bat — the animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. vault — a safe
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mate — to breed
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. press — to push
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rest — a break
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. chair — a leader
  24. spell — magic

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