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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 116 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: stem · staff · vault · stand · perch · saw · nail · cell

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. saw — the tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. saw — the tool
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. vault — a safe
  12. staff — a stick
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stem — to come from
  20. staff — employees
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. staff — employees
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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