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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: vault · mark · bowl · stick · object · stem · band · rash

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. object — to protest
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. vault — a safe
  5. band — a ring
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rash — hasty
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rash — a series
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. band — a music group
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. object — a thing
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. object — an aim

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