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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: leaves · chest · degree · stem · hand · mark · vault · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mark — a trace
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. hand — in cards
  6. chest — of your body
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. vault — a safe
  9. degree — from a university
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chest — a box
  12. hand — help
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stem — to come from
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pass — a permit

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