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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: wake · degree · trunk · mug · stem · tube · vault · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. degree — temperature
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stem — to come from
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mug — a face
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. degree — an amount
  15. tube — a container
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wake — a trail
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stem — a stem cell

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