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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 · clip · arm · plane · root · net · spell · vault

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. clip — to cut
  3. spell — a short time
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stem — to come from
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. root — of a plant
  8. net — for catching
  9. root — the cause
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. net — in sport
  15. spell — magic
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. root — of a word
  21. spell — letters
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. net — after costs

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