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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: jam · stem · hand · chair · temple · vault · wind · craft

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stem — to come from
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. chair — a leader
  8. hand — in cards
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wind — moving air
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wind — moving air
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. vault — a safe

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