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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: mate · fall · mouse · vault · rush · straw · stem · land

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. land — ground
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fall — to drop
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. land — a country
  12. fall — the season
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. land — to come down
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. fall — to drop

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