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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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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: stem · fan · fine · mate · snap · object · scale · vault

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fine — all right
  3. scale — in music
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. snap — to click
  6. object — a thing
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fine — high quality
  10. object — to protest
  11. vault — a safe
  12. object — an aim
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mate — to breed

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