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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: last · firm · saw · degree · hide · wake · stem · vault

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stem — to come from
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. degree — from a university
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. vault — a safe
  22. saw — the tool
  23. last — to go on
  24. degree — an amount

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