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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: vault · stem · fine · lean · net · hide · pass · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. vault — a safe
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stem — to come from
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fine — high quality
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pass — a permit
  20. net — for catching
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. net — after costs
  24. hide — animal skin

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