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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: dip · lie · wake · hand · land · vault · bowl · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. land — ground
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. land — a country
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. land — to come down
  23. dip — to sink
  24. hand — in cards

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