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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: bore · date · stick · stand · vault · rule · snap · stem

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stand — to bear
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. vault — a safe
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. snap — to click
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rule — a law

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