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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: vault · can · perch · stem · jam · ball · wound · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. perch — the fish
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. kick — in football
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. can — to be able to
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. ball — a dance
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wound — an injury
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. can — a tin
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. can — a tin
  24. stem — to come from

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