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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: lean · vault · bound · stick · stem · wound · spell · bear

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bound — tied together
  3. spell — magic
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bound — certain
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. spell — letters
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. vault — a safe
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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