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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: wake · vault · squash · stem · fan · pass · kick · rush

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. kick — in football
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. squash — to crush
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. stem — a stem cell

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