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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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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 · fan · vault · content · calf · bank · race · saw

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bank — of a river
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. bank — for money
  10. content — the amount
  11. vault — a safe
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. content — happy
  16. race — the arms race
  17. stem — to come from
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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