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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 120 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: bound · vault · stick · season · net · suit · chest · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bound — obliged
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bound — certain
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. suit — in cards
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stem — to come from
  12. season — in sport
  13. bound — tied together
  14. suit — to fit
  15. net — after costs
  16. vault — a safe
  17. season — of the year
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. net — in sport
  20. chest — a box
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. net — for catching

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