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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: staff · cell · arm · wax · stem · scale · vault · perch

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cell — in biology
  4. vault — a safe
  5. staff — employees
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cell — a phone
  11. staff — employees
  12. wax — to grow
  13. scale — in music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. scale — size or range
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stem — to come from
  24. perch — the fish

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