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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: wave · plane · wake · stick · date · court · stem · vault

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. court — of law
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stem — to come from
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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