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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: stem · suit · chair · season · vault · rock · mouse · cold

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cold — not warm
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. season — in sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rock — music
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cold — an illness
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. chair — a leader
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. vault — a safe
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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