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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 120 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: vault · stem · stand · wind · tube · perch · bowl · lean

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tube — a container
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lean — thin
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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