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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: sharp · vault · fall · stem · charge · game · staff · wave

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fall — the season
  5. staff — employees
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. game — a match
  8. charge — electricity
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fall — to drop
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stem — to come from
  13. vault — a safe
  14. game — wild animals
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. charge — a price
  19. staff — employees
  20. fall — to drop
  21. charge — in control
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. staff — a stick

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