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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 116 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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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: kick · tube · stem · fork · row · vault · leaves · tear

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. row — a line
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. tear — to rip
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fork — in a road
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. vault — a safe
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. row — to paddle
  20. tube — a container
  21. kick — in football
  22. tear — from crying
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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