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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: kid · vault · leaves · stem · rest · calf · cell · rock

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. kid — child
  3. rest — what's left
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rock — music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rock — a stone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. rest — a break
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. vault — a safe

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