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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: toast · vault · stem · press · arm · firm · fork · perch

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. firm — steady
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. press — to push
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fork — in a road
  14. press — a publisher
  15. firm — a company
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. firm — decided
  18. perch — the fish
  19. toast — bread
  20. press — newspapers
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. arm — a part of something

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