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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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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 · press · perch · fall · mug · vault · wake · rush

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. press — newspapers
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stem — to come from
  6. press — a publisher
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mug — a cup
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fall — the season
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mug — a face
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fall — to drop
  22. press — to push
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — for a bird

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