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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: firm · mug · dip · stick · vault · stock · wake · cell

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cell — a phone
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mug — to rob
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. firm — a company
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stock — shares
  17. mug — a cup
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stock — goods
  20. dip — to sink
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mug — a face

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