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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: arm · cabinet · bank · capital · last · vault · stem · mark

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. capital — money
  4. last — finally
  5. capital — a city
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bank — for money
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. last — final
  11. mark — a trace
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bank — for money
  19. stem — to come from
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bank — of a river
  23. last — to go on
  24. cabinet — ministers

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