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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: vault · wake · firm · land · spell · stem · rash · straw

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. land — to come down
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rash — a series
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wake — a trail
  9. vault — a safe
  10. spell — letters
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. spell — a short time
  16. land — a country
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. land — ground
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. spell — magic
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. straw — a straw man

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