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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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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: cap · mine · vault · staff · spell · stem · drill · can

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. spell — a short time
  3. can — a tin
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mine — for digging
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. drill — army training
  16. spell — letters
  17. drill — the tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. staff — employees
  20. drill — a practice
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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